Skip to content

Daily Volunteer Reminder Settings

You can use the Daily Volunteer Reminders setup page to configure Volgistics' automated daily schedule reminder messages for volunteers. These messages are used to help volunteers remember the dates, times, and Assignments where they are scheduled to serve. To get to the Daily Volunteer Reminders setup page:

  1. Select Setup from the menu.
  2. Select Scheduling.
  3. Select Daily Volunteer Reminders.

Send daily reminders

Mark this checkbox to turn on the daily schedule reminders feature. Daily reminders will not be sent if this box is unmarked.

Send these xx day(s) before the scheduled date

Use the dropdown field to select the number of days before a schedule entry that reminders should be sent. For example, if you choose 1 from the dropdown field, the daily reminders will be sent to volunteers the day before their scheduled service. If you choose 2 the reminders will be sent two days before the volunteer is scheduled, and so on.

Choose 0 only if you want the reminders to go out the same date the volunteer is scheduled. This may or may not be a good choice depending on factors such as your time zone, the time of day volunteers usually start serving, and whether or not your account has text messaging enabled. Here's why:

Volgistics sends the email version of reminders out during the overnight maintenance cycle, which starts about 3:30 am Eastern and usually completes by 7:00 am Eastern. Volunteers cannot choose the reminder delivery time if they receive reminders by email, but they can if they receive reminders by text. So if your volunteer schedule starts close to 7:00 am Eastern, having the reminders go out the same day the volunteer is scheduled (0 days before) is not a good idea because the reminder might come shortly before, or after, the volunteer is actually scheduled to serve. Similarly, if you have text messaging enabled, the time of day the volunteer selects to receive the message may be close to, or after, the time when they are scheduled.

For these reasons, we only suggest using 0 days before if your volunteers do not start serving until later in the day, and you do not have text messaging enabled.

Subject

Enter the subject line you would like volunteers to see when they receive the daily reminder email message here.

Email and Text Reminders

Please remember if your account has enabled text messaging, volunteers can select to receive the schedule reminder messages by text instead of email. In this case, only the settings above will apply to the message. The customization you select for the other options on the page will only apply to the volunteers who choose to receive the reminders by email.

Because text messages can only contain a limited number of characters, the system sends standard reminders to volunteers who choose to receive schedule reminders by text. You can see examples of the standard reminders in the Content for Automatic Text Messages section of the Text Messaging help topic.

Top of message

Enter the text you would like to appear above the schedule information in this text box.

Message Content

When you customize the message content, you can do things such as add the Placeholder [[FirstName]] to have the system insert the volunteer's first name. If you use the VicTouch sign-in stations, you can also include [[number]] to remind volunteers what their PIN is set to. The codes personalize the message for each recipient. See the Personalize Messages With Placeholders help topic for more codes.

You could also add information to the message about who to contact if they have questions, or what to do if the volunteer can't make the scheduled shift. You can use the Rich Text Editor to add formatting and text mark up to help communicate your message. If you're unfamiliar with how to use the editor, you can find information in the Using the Rich Text Editor help topic.

Include

Choose one or more of the optional pieces of information you'd like to have included in the daily reminder email. The system will automatically insert each recipient's information in the message.

Image of Include Options

Here's more information about what each option will put in the email message:

  • Day of the week. This option adds the day of the week by the date the volunteer is scheduled. For example, if the volunteer is scheduled on March 12, 2025 and that date falls on a Wednesday, the reminder will have (Wednesday) by the date entry.
  • Start time. This option adds the time the volunteer's shift is supposed to start to the reminder message.
  • Stop time. This option adds the time the volunteer's shift ends to the reminder message.
  • Assignment name. This option adds the name of the Assignment the volunteer is scheduled in to the reminder message.
  • Link to Assignment description. This option makes the name of the Assignment a direct link to the Assignment's profile in the Opportunity Directory. The Assignment's profile can include a description of the duties for the Assignment, contact information for the Assignment's Coordinators, as well as a map to the location. If you need help setting up the Assignment profiles, see the Get Started With the Opportunity Directory help topic. In order for this feature to work, you must have the Assignment name option selected also.
  • Entry note. This option adds any notes specific to the volunteer to the reminder message. You can learn about the different types of notes that can be put on the schedule in the Schedule Notes help topic.
  • Opening notes. This option adds any notes for the schedule opening the volunteer is filling to the reminder message. You can learn about the different types of notes that can be put on the schedule in the Schedule Notes help topic.
  • Substitute information. If the volunteer is scheduled as a substitute for another volunteer, this option will add the name of the person the scheduled volunteer is filling in for to the reminder message.

Bottom of message

Enter the text you would like to appear below the schedule information in this text box.

Sample

To test your changes to the options on this page, enter an email address to send a sample schedule reminder to, and then click Send sample now. Any changes you've made will be saved before sending the sample.

Volunteer schedule reminders use the reply-to email address you specify for volunteer email on the Messages Ground Rules page. Please see the Update Email Reply-To Fields help topic if you need help updating your account's reply-to addresses.